I'd love to see your seascapes! Printed textiles sounds like a beautiful art form. Let me know how you like it. How's the cookbook going? And what on earth is puffin pie? Good luck with those manuscripts! I got in some good editing this morning, but have a rather hectic week coming up. Hope everything's going well. Cheers!

You sound like a very busy woman! I'm right there with you; I just started a doctoral program in political science in Chicago, and trying to balance that with work and still trying to write is... not easy! I'm hoping to have some short stories for the contest, but I don't know if it will happen.

By the way, have you read Catherine Merriman? I can't quite pinpoint it, but something in your story reminded me of one of hers in Luminous and Forlorn...

Anywho.

Ah, winter. You know what's funny, though?  I was talking to a shop owner in Mermaid Quay in April who was complaining that summer was coming too early and staying too long!

That's wonderful about your painting! Unfortunately, my first experiences with the Assembly were in '08. :( What sort of paintings do you do? I find collaging incredibly relaxing.

Gillian, you have piqued my interest! Saul Bellow definitely got bumped up on my reading list! Hope all's going well, and that you have a beautiful day. Cheers!

Diolch, Gillian! You're such a dear! Do you have any recommendations on Saul Bellow books? I have only read a few of his short stories, but I bought Ravelstein a while back and keep meaning to read it. :)

Diolch Gillian, nice to be here. Yes we are pleased with how well  the Studymates list is going. We are based on the North Wales coast but ship Studymates and Aber books worldwide. i am lucky to be able to be a writer and publisher I get paid for doing what I love.

thanks Gil, just got your message. got back from Llandudno yesterday. - back to boring !! - . Hope you're doing well. thank you for taking time to write. Hope all is well.  loved going away hated coming back to the same old same old. Cheers!! nige

Hi Gillian, thanks for the suggestion. yes. well. I suggested to my mother and sisters the other day that we could maybe go down to Pembrokeshire to stay for a few days and the reply I got was an emphatic "Boring.." and the conversation turned round to other things at around about that point. so I think I'll probably go to Pembrokeshire on my own some time. this Friday we're off to Llandudno for a few days. I'd still like to go to Pembrokeshire but maybe its' not somewhere one should go alone. lord knows I spend enough time on my own has it is. maybe one day when I am two people would be a better time to go there. if it's to be. I keep putting it off. Hey I trust you and your family are having a great summer. my dream destination is the Maldives but the travel agent suggested that's not somewhere you want to go alone either. thank you for taking the time to reply to me. and again. please take care and good luck to you and yours. nigel  

Gillian, your grandsons are the lucky recipients of your tasty cooking!  Everything sounds good, especially that cauliflower cheese.  Roasted squash sounds wonderful but the idea of roasting anything today is daunting.  The temperature is 93F and expected to feel like 103-109F with high humidity.  That's 33-43C!  I'm melting just thinking about it.  I walked Piper this morning and felt like I needed a shower and change of clothes when we got back.  I'm grateful to have air conditioning when the weather is this hot.  This is why I'm an autumn person.

Yes, we have a sweet, loyal Pembroke Corgi named Piper.  She's a good bit less fluffy than a normal Corgi, with longer thinner legs, smaller feet, and floppy ears.  But she's still a Corgi!  When she's zooming across the park and her ears are pinned back by the wind, she looks like a true Corgi.  I'd like another someday, but as you pointed out -- so many animals makes it tricky to travel without having a lot of good care for them.  My mother was a fan of Tasha Tudor, and I have several of her books featuring the Corgis, including a Corgi Christmas advent calendar (that's an annual tradition for us, even though the kids are getting older -- I love advent calendars).  And I'm a fan of Victoria magazine too -- I used to subscribe many years ago, then re-subscribed when it started publishing again.  Those lovely pages make for a good escape when necessary.

I recently blogged about Chocolate Biscuit cake but need to swear off sweets and breads for a while.  Not good for the waistline!  Today I'm going to try making Atholl Brose, and for dinner a nice cold gazpacho.  No cooking for a while.  What traditional Welsh dishes would you recommend for me?  I'd love to hear about your favorites.

Enjoy your day,

Meg  :-)

I'm not talking to you Gil, you're in Pembrokeshire arn't you. o god. you have got those fabulous views over the sea and I'm jealous.

Only being in Swansea. granted I have got Mumbles but I'm still jealous so jealous in fact that I am on the verge of making a decision to stay a while in Pembrokeshire. but I do have my mum to think of - being in her nineties.

I just think. maybe I should treat myself to seeing somewhere different, anyway places are probably booked through now and I'm not used to spending money on me.

Well. good luck to you and your family. best get back to reality and go and put the kettle on and see my mum is a-o-k.

Ta ra for now

nige

Yes it was nice hearing from you.

Hi Gillian

 Thanks for getting back to me with the comments, at the moment I am compiling a selection of my Dylan illustrations for a 2012 calendar and it is starting to look good.

 look forward to hearing from you soon, keep up the blogs.

                                                                                     Jeff   

Thanks for the gift, it was really kind of you.  See you on 16th June at the Ivy Bush. 

We're cooking on gas now!

Hwyl Rhianne

I'm really looking forward to reading your Blogs here on Americymru Gillian.

You have whetted my appetite for some of the local history in Haverfordwest and more precisely the life of 'Lucy Walters'.

Will you be off to the West Coast Eisteddfod I wonder?

Hwyl Rhianne

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